Below is Peter Davies of AHA MEDIA proudly holding the Brand New Heart of the City Festival 2014 Festival Program guide

Below is Garvin Snider and Clyde Wright of AHA MEDIA proudly holding the Brand New Heart of the City Festival 2014 Festival Program guide

Below is Garvin Snider of AHA MEDIA thanking people for supporting the Heart of the City Festival 2014

Welcome to the 11th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 to SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Over 90 events at over 25 venues throughout the Downtown Eastside

What an amazing decade it has been since the founding of the festival in 2004. With our 11th annual festival we are honoured to begin our second decade working with and for the Downtown Eastside.

To celebrate and launch this second decade, our 2014 festival theme is ‘Keeping the home fires burning.’ As we prepare to meet the challenges and opportunities of the coming decade, we are inspired by Downtown Eastside residents and artists who carry the flame of our community: they warm our hearts, shed light on pressing concerns, illuminate stories old and new, fire our imaginations, and keep the torch burning for future generations.

A special festival highlight is the Theatre in the Raw production of The Raymur Mothers, an original musical from Bill Sample and former Vancouver Sun reporter Bob Sarti directed by Jay Hamburger. Featuring thirteen original and rousing songs, The Raymur Mothers brings to life the inspiring story of single moms living down on Campbell Avenue at the Stamps Place (Raymur) Public Housing Project. In 1971 they took action on the train tracks, fighting for a pedestrian overpass to get their children safely to Admiral Seymour Elementary School.

Other 2014 highlights include festival favorites and festival surprises: Carnegie Jazz Band, Barrio Flamenco, Sawagi Taiko, Dovbush Dancers, Keepers of the Flame: A Celebration of Poetry, and much more to be announced.

The Festival is thrilled to partner with the DTES’s AHA Media to provide social media coverage (video/photos/blog) of the Heart of the City Festival. AHA Media gives voice to our local community and provides services for individuals and organizations to share their news and special events on a broader scale through social media. Founded in 2008 by local artists April Smith, Hendrik Beune, and Al Tkatch, AHA Media previously collaborated with Fearless City Media and has an ongoing working relationship with W2Community Media Arts and various other organizations and individuals in the DTES community. The members of AHA Media describe themselves as “definitely not mainstream media”. Based in Vancouver’s DTES, their style is described as non-invasive and unassuming.

Say Hello to AHA Media as they visit the Festival events. They will be happy to chat with you. Stay connected to the festival with AHA’s links – see photos/videos of the festival events you attended; take in a festival event you missed; or follow one festival event while you are attending another!

Who is the best chef in Vancouver? I would like to propose that Vikram Vij of Vij’s, Rangoli, and his latest venture, a food truck called Railway Express, be included in that discussion. This past weekend at Eat Vancouver Festival, he firmly cemented his place among elite chefs as he wowed festival goers with his vast knowledge of Indian cooking and his ability to make everyone laugh. I got a chance to try one of his Indian curries (which he made right there) and it was delicious. He demonstrated some Indian dancing and kept everyone glued to their seats with his descriptions of the various spices from India. Trust me, he is an amazing person.

What defines Vancouver? In my opinion it is the people and the variety. When you put them together you get a wide variety of delicious food from many different backgrounds. Eat Vancouver is a festival that brings everyone together under one roof (BC Place stadium) to enjoy great food and the company of other foodies. From Curry to Smoked Salmon and just about every other food in between, the Festival had it all. I came away with a full belly and a greater understanding of food. One word of advice, do not eat anything before coming otherwise you will wind up not trying everything.